Sustainability Solutions and Technologies

Study revealing billions of microplastics in Frenchman Bay highlighted by media

National Parks Traveler and Spectrum News reported on a University of Maine-led study which found that there are an estimated 400 billion microplastic fibers on the surface of Frenchman Bay and several connected rivers and estuaries where freshwater from rivers meet salty seawater. The watershed contains an average of 1.8 fibers per liter of water. 

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A photo of boats in a harbor

UMaine expanding support for climate action and resilience throughout Maine coast

From the piers in Casco Bay to the marinas of the midcoast and wharves along Downeast shorelines, working waterfronts are crucial to Maine’s economy and communities. Faced with the threat of rising sea levels, stronger and more frequent storms, aging infrastructure and development pressures, Gov. Janet Mills and her administration have developed strategies and nature-based […]

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Waters along Bar Harbor, Acadia home to billions of microplastics

Along the shores of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula are the vast, briny waters of Frenchman Bay. With 98 square miles of water and 39 islands, the bay is vital to shorebirds, fish, lobstermen and outdoor recreationists. University of Maine researchers, however, have discovered that Frenchman Bay and its tributaries are […]

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Kopec discusses mercury cleanup in the Penobscot River with the BDN

Dianne Kopec, a research associate with the University of Maine Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, spoke with the Bangor Daily News about upcoming efforts to extract, bury and dredge mercury in the Penobscot River. “You don’t let it sit there,” said Kopec, who previously conducted a study on mercury pollution in the […]

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Mainebiz reports on UMaine-led forest resiliency project

Mainebiz reported on the collaborative statewide project led by the University of Maine to foster resilient forest communities in Maine. The National Science Foundation awarded a $7 million grant, which will put $4.5 million toward scholarly activities at UMaine and $2.5 million toward collaborative activities led by project partners across the state. The four year […]

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A photo of a foggy forest in fall

Forest-based economy, jobs focus of new university-nonprofit partnership

A $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund a four-year statewide collaborative project led by the University of Maine to foster resilient forest communities in Maine.   Maine-FOREST, or Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability and Technology, will expand the state’s research and educational capacity to connect human and ecosystem focused innovations and […]

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Mainebiz highlights NSF grant for company founded by UMaine alumna

Mainebiz highlighted a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation awarded to Paramount Planet Product, a company that makes disposable consumer goods out of paper. It was founded in 2017 by University of Maine alumna Ariadne Dimoula, who at the time was working with researchers from UMaine to create a new material called “plaaper,” […]

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‘Maine Calling’ features Skonberg in sustainable seafood segment

An episode of “Maine Calling” featured Denise Skonberg, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine The special segment from Maine Public focused on what approaches need to be taken to harvest seafood with minimal harm to the environment and to ensure seafood species will continue to be plentiful into […]

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Weiskittel discusses forest research on Maine Science Podcast

Aaron Weiskittel, a professor of forest biometrics and modeling at the University of Maine, was featured in a segment of the Maine Science podcast, produced by the Maine Discovery Museum, for his research into regional forest structure and composition. The podcast focused on the research attempts by Weiskittel, who is also the director of the […]

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